Lock for valves



Jan. 21, 1930. E. w. ROBERTS LOOK FOR .VALVES Filed July 26, 1926 produce a latch construction or lock for Patented Jan. 21, 1930 1 UNITED STATES rarer EARL W. ROBERTS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AS SIGNGR T0 ROBERTS BRASS MFG. COM- PANY, or nnmnorr, MICHIGAN,

A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN LOOK FOR VALVES Application filed July 26,

This invention relates to looks for valves such as gas cocks and the like and has among its objects, to simplify, render more eiiicient and improve generally devices of this character. 1

One of the objects of the invention is to valves, having a rotary valve plug, for securing the plug in its several positions of adjustment and to produce a latch construction which may be quickly and economically manufactured in large quantities and which may be assembled with facility with the gas cock or other valve.

To this end the invention contemplates a construction wherein the parts may be formed of sheet metal which may be stamped and shaped prior to assembly and may then be assembled as a unit with the rotary plug of the valve without the employment of additional securing means.

The several objects advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a valve provided with a lock or latch constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is aseparated perspective view of several parts prior to assembly.

Figure 3 is a plan View of the blank from which the supporting bracket for the latch is evolved; and

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the latch member.

Referring 110w more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like parts it will be noted that there is illustrated a valve casing 10 having a rotary valve plug 11, the valve plug being provided with a valve opening adapted to be brought into registration with the inlet and outlet valve openings formed in the casing, only one of which is shown. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention herein shown the upper end of the valve plug is provided with a knob or rounded portion 12 to which a handle 13 is connected. To fa- 1926. Serial lilo. 125,034.

cilitate the attachment of the handle 13 the valve plug 11 is provided with a circular recessed portion 14: within which the end of the handle engages, the handle being secured in'place through the intermediary of a bolt or screw 15 passed longitudinally through the handle and engaging a threaded aperture 16 formed in the upper end of the valve plug.

The casing 10 of the valve is provided with a plurality of slots or recesses 17 adapted for engagement by a latch or lock yet to be referred to.

The supporting bracket for carrying the latch is indicated generally by the reference character 18 and is evolved from a blank substantially as shown in Figure 3. One end of the bracket is formed with a circular apertured portion 19 and the body thereof is provided with a pair of laterally extending flanges 20 tormed'by bending the body of the blank along the lines 21 indicated in Figure 3. An oppositely, laterally extending stud or projection 22 is formed on the blank at one end thereof, this lug being formed by bending the blank along the line indicated at23 in Figure 3.

The latch member 24 is developed from a flat elongated strip of material bent as at 25 to provide a latchportion 26 and a handle portion 27 extending at right angles to one another and with the plane of each member at right angles to that of the other. The latch member is assembled with the bracket 18 by means of a pivot pin 26 extending through aligned openings in flanges 20 of the bracket and in the latch portion 26 of the latch memher, the ends of this pivot pin being headed or riveted over to securely unite the parts. A spring 28 is looped around the ends of the pivot pin 26 and engages respectively with the lower end of the latch arm 26 and with the bracket 18 to normally hold the latch member in engaging position. It will be noted that the handle portion 27 of the latch member is normally arranged in a plane substantially parallel with the handle 13 of the valve so as to be conveniently gripped by the operator when the handle is gripped for rotating the plug. i

The valve plug 11 is provided with a recess 29 adapted to be engaged by the lug 22 carried by the bracket.

In assembling the parts, the bracket 18 to which the latch member has already been connected, is associated with the valve plug by engaging the lug 22 in the aperture 29 and positioning the circular portion 19 in the recess 14 with the aperture therein in registration with the threaded aperture 16 of the plug. The handle 13 is then put into position with its end engaging the circular portion 19 of the bracket so that this portion of the bracket will be confined between the lug and handle. The bolt 19 is then engaged with the threaded aperture 16 and screwed into place so that the bracket 18 is firmly united with the handle and plug, the lug 22 being held in the aperture 29 by reason of the engagement of the bracket with the plug and handle and by reason of the bolt 15.

In operation when the handle 13 is gripped by the operator, the handle portion 27 of the latch member may be gripped to oscillate the latch about the pivot pin 26 to lift the latch arm 26 out of engagement with the latch recess 17 with which it is then in engagement. Obviously there will be at least two of the latch recesses 17 one for engagement by the latch member when the handle is in closed position and one when the handle is in open position and as many other recesses for securing the valve in intermediary positions as may be found desirable or expedient.

The simplicity of the device which facilitates its manufacture in great quantities and its easy assembling will be obvious without further description, it being also obvious that the latch as a unit may be connected to the handle and valve plug Without the employment of additional fastening means such as bolts, rivets or the like.

While the embodiment of the invention herein described and illustrated somewhat in detail has been found to give entirely satisfactory results in practice it will nevertheless be obvious that various changes may be made in the essential and all of the non-essential details and hence reservation is made to make such changes as may come Within the purview of the accompanying claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a valve, a casing, a rotatable plug, a handle detachably engaging said plug, a latch supporting bracket having a portion arranged between said plug and handle and having another portion bent substantially at right angles to the body of said bracket and adapted to engage in a recess formed in said plug, and a latch member pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof upon said bracket and terminating at the upper end in a rearwardly extending portion disposed adjacent to the valve handle aforesaid and constituting a handle for the latch.

2. In a valve, a casing having a series of slots therein, a plug rotatable in said casing and provided with an aperture,and an operating handle secured to the plug, of a bracket clamped between said plug and handle and having a projection held in the aperture in the plug by the clamping engagement of said bracket with said handle and plug, a latch member pivoted upon said bracket and having a portion engageable with the slots in said casing, and spring means having portions engaging said latch member and bracket and normally maintaining the latch member in engagement with one of the slots aforesaid.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EARL W. ROBERTS. 

